Morpheus offers to show Neo the "truth" that we are all living our lives in a computer-based simulation called The Matrix. He says that , "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth." He further explains that the truth is, "That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind."
Morpheus then offers Neo two pills...a red pill and a blue pill. "You take the blue pill, the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe." But if, "You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."
Of course, Neo takes the red pill, or we wouldn't have had much of a movie. His eyes are opened to the truth. He can finally see what the world really is.
The metaphor is typically used to talk about how people on the Left have had their eyes opened to the fact that they have been lied to all these years about the Democratic Party's true motivations. That the Democrats have been using race relations not to make lives better for minorities, but have actually fomented racial tension to accrue power for themselves. That they really don't care about "the working man." That, in general, everything that comes out of their mouth, and much of what comes out of the propaganda mainstream media, are lies. And these people have believed it all these years. It's like they took the red pill one day and woke up from a dream to see the truth.
As it goes, it is a pretty good metaphor. We certainly are being lied to all the time. In recent years, it has become blatant, though the masses still can't see it. But even in the past it was true. As Winston Churchill tells us, "History is written by the victors." He went on to say that, "History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." Then he did. It is much like the concept from Orwell's novel 1984...history is what the state, or accepted dogma of whatever flavor, tells you it is. And, for most of us, we are fed that approved truth in state-controlled schools that preach...er, ah...teach the party line. It is no wonder most people cannot see the "real truth." But you can't blame the schools, they are just purpose-built programs that perform the function for which they were created.
The problem with the metaphor, as currently used, is that it does not go far enough. Those who consider themselves "red pilled," many times are only seeing part of the truth. They #WalkAway from the Democrats, but walk toward the Republicans. What they fail to see is that the Republicans are also just a part of the Matrix. You see, even the supposed good program in the story, the program called the Oracle, was part of the Matrix. While the Oracle was better than the program Smith, "she" never meant to help Neo destroy the Matrix, but just to reboot it...so that it would continue.
Don't get me wrong, I believe the Republican party is better than the Democratic party...but only marginally. Both still exist to perpetuate the Matrix...their power structure. I believe that in reality, while there are some "true believers" within the parties, for the most part, they only exist to provide a contrast. This contrast is "the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth." It makes you think you have choice...that you have power. The parties also keep us divided. They give us things to hate about the others. As long as we hate "them" and believe "our guys" are on our side, we pose no threat to the order of things.
So let's look at this a little closer. The Republicans purport to be for small government. But in fact, every year, for more than the past 100 years, the Matrix has grown, spending has gone up, more control has been exerted...regardless of which party has "control." Oh yes, there have been insignificant tax cuts that seemed positive...for a time. But in fact, they were just mortgaging your future by increasing spending with borrowed money, or by devaluing your money by printing more currency.
When the Republicans have had power...when they could have taken steps toward real change...what did they do? Nothing. They continued to perpetuate the Matrix. Oh, they made noise about how they were going to do something...yep, we're getting ready to, they assured us. But then just excuses about how they, in the end, couldn't really do what they promised...you know, because of those other guys...or because of the children...or because of our allies...or etc..
Let me show you some more truth about the parties. What have we been taught about our system of government? Well one thing is that the so-called "Two-Party System" is sacrosanct...handed down by the founders from Mount Rushmore, or something. Why, it is the very bedrock of our democracy! But why? A reading of the history of the founding of our country shows no such system was codified in either our founding documents or the ratifying debates. In fact, when parties began to form, many saw it as a dangerous thing for the republic...and I agree. But since then, they have ingrained this system in our culture...in our psyches. We are warned not to vote for any of those crazy third-party weirdos. Why you'll just be wasting your vote! Those other guys, the ones you REALLY dislike will win if you don't vote for "our guys." They have rigged the system so that only the Republicans and Democrats can really succeed by the way the voting system is set up. There are guaranteed slots for the two "respectable" parties, after-all. But why? Why does it have to be two? Why do we have to give these parties so much power over us? Matrix.
I haven't even touched on the Military-Industrial Complex that President Eisenhower warned us about...or the massive surveillance state...or the constant move toward global hegemony...the increasing social experimentation. And so much more.
"Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more." ~ Morpheus
